Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility activities on brand awareness of tea manufacturing firms in Bomet County

Abstract

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility has been growing among business communities in recent years. There have been questions as to whether there is any benefit to organizations engaging in CSR activities which are sometimes viewed as costly to the organization. From most empirical literature, firms’ CSR activities do have positive impact on company’s brand image, recognition or reputation which leads to higher performance through more purchases. This study sought to analyze the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on brand awareness by looking into the CSR activities carried out by tea manufacturing firms in Bomet County. Specifically the study will determine the effect of education CSR on brand awareness of tea manufacturing firms in Bomet County, establish whether health CSR affects brand awareness of tea manufacturing firms in Bomet County and determine the effects of environmental CSR on brand awareness of tea manufacturing firms in Bomet County. The study adopted a descriptive approach and the researcher administered questionnaires to 60 middle level and top level management of tea manufacturing firms using census technique. Using multiple regression analysis and correlation analysis, the primary data was examined to determine the relationship between CSR activities and brand awareness. Findings indicated a lack of evidence of CSR impact as perceived by members of the public albeit high level of engagement in CSR as perceived by company staff.